Neurolucida

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Neurolucida

The most advanced system for neuron tracing and reconstruction, neuron analysis, and 3D brain mapping

Quantify neuronal morphology

Neurolucida® is a powerful product for creating and analyzing realistic, meaningful, and quantifiable neuron reconstructions from microscope images. Perform detailed morphometric analysis of neurons, such as quantifying:

the number of dendrites, axons, nodes, synapses, and spines

the length, width, and volume of dendrites and axons

the area and volume of the soma

the complexity and extension of neurons

Researchers have reconstructed and analyzed tens of thousands of neurons using Neurolucida, leading to advances in areas of neuroscience including neurodegenerative diseases, neuropathy, memory, and behavior, and advances in other research fields such as ophthalmology. Neurolucida is cited over 7 times more than all other available neuron tracing programs combined (Halavi, Hamilton, Parekh, & Ascoli, 2012). And, according to another study, Neurolucida is "the most widely used and versatile system to produce neuronal reconstruction." (P. Aguiar, M. Souda, P. Szucs, 2013)

Newly redesigned Neurolucida version 2017

State of the art software for state of the art research

Fully Integrated Microscope Systems

In addition to the software for neuron tracing and analysis, a Neurolucida system includes all necessary hardware (microscope, computer, motorized stage, camera, etc.). On-site installation and training, technical support for the entire system (hardware and software) and research support (to help optimize your experimental design) are included.

Neurolucida on a Microscope

Fully integrated system

Reduces work and speeds up data collection

Microscopy hardware and Neurolucida software work in harmony to deliver a powerful, seamless neuron reconstruction system. A typical system includes a microscope, computer, and Neurolucida software. Most of what is visible through the oculars is displayed on the computer monitor with Neurolucida.

Neurolucida fully integrates with your microscope and associated hardware to reduce manual work and to speed up data collection. It can:

Neurolucida has been cited in over 6,000 published research papers.

7 times more than all other neuron tracing programs combined.

Professional Technical Support

When you call us you will speak with a person - not an automated system. Talk to us about your hardware, software, or experimental design questions. Our team includes Ph.D. neuroscientists and experts in microscopy, stereology, neuron tracing, and image processing; ready to help you over the phone or online.

Customer Reviews

"Neurolucida is one of the very few systems that combines complex morphometrical quantification with beautiful display of the results."

Ahmed Salehi, M.D., Ph.D.

Stanford Medical School

"Our experience with the MBF equipment and especially the MBF people has been outstanding. I cannot speak any higher about their professionalism and attention for our needs."

Bogdan A. Stoica, M.D.

University of Maryland

"Neurolucida is clearly the best in the field - reliable, accurate, and very importantly, easy and intuitive to use. I would not try any other system."

3D Brain Mapping

After reconstructing serial sections of an entire brain, Neurolucida has advanced tools and analyses for analyzing the 3D representation of a brain specimen.

Map and analyze a long neuronal pathway

Map the distribution of cells in a region of interest

Quantify volume for studies looking at volume change, such as the atrophy of the striatum in a specimen that has the Huntington's gene expressed, or the volume of lesions that appear in a region of interest.

Analyze the distribution of objects in a region of interest and find the proximity of one object to another or find the distance between the object and an anatomical boundary.

Serial Section Reconstruction

Serial sections are tissue sections that have been cut sequentially with a microtome. To obtain morphometric data about neurons or structures that extend beyond a single tissue section, researchers often create a serial section reconstruction - a digital representation of the serial tissue sections. This method includes tracing the outline of each tissue section at low magnification and tracing the neuron or structure of interest in each tissue section at a higher magnification. This can be done at the microscope or from images with Neurolucida, which has tools to help make this process easier. For example, Neurolucida has an automatic contouring tool to help you trace the outline of the tissue specimen or trace an anatomical boundary within the specimen.

Capture image stacks and whole slide images with Neurolucida

Neurolucida can capture 2D (x,y) and 3D (x,y,z) whole slide images (high resolution digital images of your specimen) with the addition of the 2D or 3D Slide Scanning Module, but Neurolucida also supports whole slide images from providers such as Aperio and Hamamatsu. Working with whole slide images gives you the freedom to create neuron reconstructions and analyze them on any computer (even those not connected to a microscope), and also gives you a permanent digital file of your specimen that can be easily stored on Biolucida, MBF’s image viewing, sharing, and storing application.